25th International Water Mist Conference proves successful for IWMA

Conference brought together manufacturers, researchers, consultants, approval bodies and fire safety professionals to discuss the latest developments in water mist technology, standards, research and practical applications.

This year’s event programme introduced two successful additions: a dedicated training workshop, attracting more than 60 participants who received Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificates, and a technical site visit to Prague's National Technical Library. The latter’s water mist installation has been in operation for 18 years now. In fact, the building also served as the venue for the International Water Mist Conference when it was last held in Prague back in 2010.

The workshop was based on the IWMA’s newly published practical design guide for water mist systems, which provides a structured and step-by-step approach towards system design: from identifying fire risks and applicable standards through to system verification and implementation.

In essence, the guide aims to support designers, authorities and other stakeholders in applying water mist technology correctly and consistently.

New IWMA initiatives

During conference, the IWMA also presented several new initiatives aimed at strengthening competence and improving access to technical information.

One of these is ‘Mist Protects’: a new online platform scheduled for launch later this year. It will provide a central location for collecting and sharing documented real-world fire incidents, water mist installations, research findings, Case Studies and other relevant information. The ultimate objective is to make practical experience and technical evidence more accessible to the global fire protection community.

Together with the new design guide and training workshop, this initiative represents an important step in the IWMA’s ongoing efforts to promote knowledge sharing, technical competence and evidence-based fire protection.

Improving competence

“The 25th International Water Mist Conference demonstrated how far our industry has developed,” observed Max Lakkonen, president of the IWMA. “With almost 200 delegates from 32 countries, strong participation in our new workshop and several important initiatives underway, we are taking further steps towards improving competence, sharing knowledge and strengthening the position of water mist technology in the fire protection domain.”

Lakkonen has announced that the 26^th International Water Mist Conference will take place in Paris on 6-8 October 2027. Conference will be held at The Meliá Paris La Défense Hotel.

The event schedule is now available on the IWMA’s website. The first important date is 15 December, which is when the Call for Papers will be issued and sponsors can start booking tabletops for the exhibition, which will run alongside conference.

The IWMA is now looking back at two extremely successful events with nearly 170 attendees in 2025 and over 180 attendees this time around. Also, the number of sponsors has increased in comparison to previous years. Bettina McDowell, CEO at the IWMA, said: “We do think that this is a trend and we’re preparing for another very successful conference in Paris.”

Ragnar Wighus Award

The deadline to submit applications for the Ragnar Wighus Award is 31 March. In 2027, this prestigious accolade will be presented to the author of the best PhD thesis related to water mist technology.

The IWMA’s Scientific Council, chaired by Kemal Sarp Arsava from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, will evaluate the submissions. The winner will be invited to present the winning thesis in Paris.

*Further information is available online at https://iwma.net/home